After the Texans beat the Raiders 29-6, coaches and players from both teams spoke with the media. The following is a transcript of their interviews.
Texans head coach Gary Kubiak Texans defensive coordinator Frank Bush Texans offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan Texans LB Brian Cushing Texans WR Andre Johnson Texans WR Jacoby Jones Texans RB Ryan Moats Texans SS Bernard Pollard Texans CB Glover Quin Texans QB Matt Schaub Texans RB Steve Slaton Texans DE Antonio Smith Texans CB Dunta Robinson Texans LB DeMeco Ryans Texans WR Kevin Walter Texans T Eric Winston
Texans head coach Gary Kubiak(on feelings after the win) "I feel much better about our defense. Obviously they stepped up and played extremely well, you know, all day long. We had some issues going into the game earlier with three new players starting on the back end when it was all said and done. We walked out of the locker rooms today and just, I'm real proud of (Defensive Coordinator) Frank Bush and rallying the troops. And playing the way they did."
(on what happened with FS Eugene Wilson) "As you guys know, we have some guys sick, okay, and Eugene was sick last night—continued to this morning and there's no way he could have played. We're monitoring the situation. He's not the only one. There's a few guys that were actually able to be available in the game— (LB Xavier) Adibi and (RB) Chris Brown was actually sick this morning too. And it's just something that has hit us in the past four days, and we have to work through it. Eugene—there's no way we could have asked him to try to work through his situation this morning. It's just not good."
(on if he is worried about a potential swine flu outbreak) "Well, I don't want to speculate on any of that. But bottom line we had some guys dealing with some issues and of course (TE) Anthony Hill, you know about Anthony. You know it was kind of scary this morning to be honest with you. It seems like they're just popping up, you know, three guys popped up this morning and it did get a little scary going into the game but we found a way to work through it."
(on defense being consistent against the Raiders running game) "Well, I think what you're going to see bottom line, in fact I can't think of one time during the game, or I can think of one time, that we didn't use the word 'buzz' on the field. And you know, let me explain—in this league, guys are making mistakes, guys are out of position, guys miss lanes, you know it does happen in this game. We've been having way too many. I can think of one today, but we didn't give them anything. Anything they did, they had to work for. We're more sound on what we were doing, so I would attribute to that mostly."
(on how he got DE Antonio Smith going) "We didn't do much different there. We were a little bit more isolated to be honest with you as far as defensively how much we threw at our players this week, you know, and probably got even more isolated about two hours before the game when we found out that (FS) Eugene (Wilson) couldn't play. Because now (SS) Dominique (Barber) went back to free and they had two guys start at safety. One didn't really practice that much this week. And then a young corner starting so we probably got more isolated. I don't know if that's what it was, but obviously we played better."
(on importance of getting RB Ryan Moats in game) "It was important, you know, (RB) Steve (Slaton) put the ball on the ground. And that's three or four for the year and we got to get it to stop. We put Ryan in there and Ryan went in and played well. And then Steve came back and responded and played extremely well. We'll do whatever it takes. Obviously, Ryan is capable of getting us some quality plays in there so we'll practice him and get him a chance to do some work."
(on whether RB Ryan Moats would have played if RB Chris Brown wasn't ill) "I planned on playing Ryan a little bit, depending on how he carried for me."
(on CB Glover Quin) "Well, I have to look at the films. But obviously he had to play well. I mean we played well as a defensive football team. And he's a part of that. He has a forearm that we're looking at right now. But we'll assume he did his job."
(on pressure put on Raiders quarterback) "Well, like (DE) Mario Williams' effort and (DT) Amobi (Okoye), and of course everyone's effort, and (DE Antonio's (Smith) effort to the quarterback. I think we got him what, like three times. And we're probably at six or seven when we were there making him throw the ball again and that's what we need to be able to do. And a big test this week where we're going we'll get plenty of chances to rush the quarterback there."
(on feelings of first quarter) "Well I mean we could have been better. Obviously, we probably could have been worse too. You know, we're right there in the middle of the pack. And that's where we finished last year. I think four of our next five games are on the road, so this will be a big stretch for this organization and this team coming up. You know, it's critical with the defense we did today. And I'm still very discouraged about how we're running the football, and totally committed to the second half. You know, I was not going to hurt our football team by throwing it a bunch. And we have 41 good routes to go look at and see how we could run the ball better because we're going to have to to win, especially on the road."
(on how RB Steve Slaton responded after the fumble) "I mean, I'm glad he responded to the fumble. Whether he responded to (RB) Ryan (Moats) going in there and playing well or you know I don't know what he responded to, but he did. He came in and made a great run one time when we totally would have turned in, makes a big run, you know a touchdown run. He played tough, he played better. But we're still coming out of the game with a 3.1. And I know most of that is coming from the second half, sitting there grinding out the game. But still, we have got to get Steve going for the team to be successful."
(on why he is discouraged) "You know, in our offense, our two back scheme has got to be able to handle eight man fronts regardless of what people do, and right now we're not doing that. I mean our big runs came from nickel situations; our big plays came with their nickel defense on the field. We have to line up on first downs, and second downs, with our face and offense on the field and run the ball and we have not been doing that."
(on big plays in the first half) "Well they're tough. I'll tell you what, this group, this is a very good defensive team. I mean up front he said they were calling out names there on the back end, I mean very talented on the back end. We were able to scheme-wise and get a few guys open, and had a chance for a real big play in the game when (WR) Andre (Johnson) got the holding call. But you know, big plays against their defense are kind of few and far between, but we were able to find some in the first half. But in the second half we didn't find any, but I would say we were more committed to the run in the second half."
(on discouragement about offense in second half) "Yeah, I think some of the second half started with the last play of the first half. We're dominating the game and you got third and five and there's only one thing you can't do, and that's turn the ball over. We're fixing to go in with 23-6 if nothing else. I think it deflated our guys, I think it did (QB) Matt (Schaub) a little bit. And in the second half obviously we were not explosive. We were not very good as an offense. But a lot of that, I'm going to take that because I was totally committed to us running the ball and being able to come out of this game and see what our problems are running the ball. And so credit goes to the defense—they were tremendous."
(on QB Matt Schaub holding the ball too long) "What concerns me is that the sacks came mostly off of play action. Normally, we're pretty good right there. But, give them some credit for what they do, but at the same time if you're going down that many times it is not very good."
(on what makes him feel the best about defense) "Well, you know I've been saying this all along to you, I was standing there in practice watching us warm up and I was looking at (C) Chris White, and looking at (LB) DeMeco (Ryans), and looking at (DE) Mario (Williams), and I'm saying we've got some fine players over there. And then we've got some younger players on the field. Like I said, today we had two safeties—one who has been with us for two weeks, and one who is a young player, (SS) Dominique (Barber), and then a rookie corner. We got get it all together here, and if we can get that done I don't have any doubt that we will be a good defensive football team before this year is out but it's got to all come together. Because it has not been working together the majority of the time. But it is what it is. We got to make it work."
(on whether having four rookies on the field scares him) "Oh it scares the heck out of me. But that's where we are, and we got to get them going and get them playing. And hopefully they got some confidence today and will do better next week."
(on WR Jacoby Jones and special teams) "I think Jacoby has been special this year. If you look at his production—what has he had, like three touchdowns in four weeks? I mean that's being productive. As a receiver, as a returner, when he gets rid of that one play where the ball is on the ground, I'm thinking that this guy has a chance to be a great, great player. So, I'm proud of him, I'm proud of all his work to get to where he is at right now. I think he's on his way to a good year."
Texans defensive coordinator Frank Bush
(on if being in the right position made the big difference) "I think so. They took it upon themselves to be more aggressive in this game and although I did call an aggressive gameplan, they took it upon themselves to beat somebody—win the individual battles and try to come up and make some plays."
(on DE Antonio Smith having his best game as Texan) "Yeah, he's been chomping on the bit the whole time. He's been improving every week and finally he made some plays for us. All those guys inside played well. (DT) Amobi (Okoye) really pressured the quarterback and had a sack and did some things in the running game. (DE) Mario (Williams) did his thing. (DT) Jeff Zgonina, he stood in there and stayed strong for us along with (DT) Shaun Cody. All those kids did a nice job for us inside."
(on DE Antonio Smith and DT Amobi Okoye's impact on the safety) "Yeah, those two kids blew off the football and gave (LB) Brian Cushing the chance to run through a gap and make a play. The impressive part was Amobi and Antonio both just backing that line of scrimmage back."
(on if he changed his approach at all this week) "No, not really. We still got a long way to go. It's just one football game. I remember last week so we've got a long way to go."
(on LB Brian Cushing saying he's been let loose a little more) "Yeah, Brian is doing some things for us. We're trying to take advantage of his talents. Every week there is a new thing that he shows us he can do and so we just keep moving along with him."
(on why LB Brian Cushing is doing what he's doing) "He believes in the system but more than anything, he's a talented player that really bring a lot to the table. He works extremely hard. He's a smart football player and he loves to play the game. Those plays are going to come to him."
(on mixing and matching the secondary) "We needed a spark from last week. We needed something to happen that was going to be good for us, changing up the secondary. (SS Bernard) Pollard was that changeup; he was good spark for us. Although we had another guy go down because of injury or whatnot, he was a good spark for us and he's practiced well all week. The guys believe in him so it's good that we could get him in."
(on how large an impact SS Bernard Pollard can make) "It's interesting to see. He did a nice job for us today. We were real comfortable with everything that he did. He'll just get better and better we think. We know he's an aggressive player so we're excited about it."
Texans offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan(on if the lead led to the conservative play calls in the second half) "When you have a lead like that, when it's pretty much a three possession game without much time to play left and your defense is playing well, the only way you can give the other team a chance is to turn it over. So you don't want to come out and throw and give these opportunities to turn it over when you've just got to get first downs. Our defense kept getting us the ball back and not giving up points so we were able to not get first downs and still win the game."
Texans LB Brian Cushing
(on the defensive effort) "It felt good. I thought the effort was the best we've had all season. That was the most important thing. Anytime we have that kind of effort, I think we're able to get things done that we want to."
(on the safety) "It was good. I just was trying to make a play. I knew they were backed up and would try to run the ball. I saw the A-gap open and I was just trying to get those points for the defense."
(on what today's performance proved) "I think it all it does is just prove our capabilities. It doesn't mean anything, if you don't come week in and week out and do that. I think that we saw what we were capable of today and we have a consistent effort week in and week out."
(on what is allowing him to cause so much havoc) "I don't know. I think it's the scheme. I think it's just the coaches letting me play. I think if they just let me go out there and do what I can do, things like that are going to happen."
(on if it surprises him that he's doing so well so quickly) "I don't think so. I think a lot of it came from the scheme and program I came from—the coaching prepared me for this. Coming right into the system with (defensive coordinator) Frank Bush and (head) Coach (Gary) Kubiak, it really just developed me so far."
(on how the game progressed) "It felt good. You had that good feeling that they really couldn't do anything against you. We want to keep going and we want to keep our foot on the gas. We just proved what our abilities are."
(on SS Bernard Pollard) "He did great. He's not scared to run around and hit some people, make some noise. He did a great job, especially for his first start."
(on if he takes all the problems with the defense personal) "You know, I do. You never want to be part of a defense like that. But you know, we're 2-2. Like I said, we proved we could do it. That's the most important part. We have to take that into next week."
Texans WR Andre Johnson
(on the different offensive options) "That's what I like about it. You have a bunch of guys that can make plays. We ran one play where I ran a post route, and when I ran the route, I just busted out laughing because O.D. (TE Owen Daniels) was just running across the field wide open. So we've got a lot of guys that can make plays for us. That's what's great about the offense."
(on the team running more and throwing less in this game) "Well, that's fine; whatever we need to do to win. I told him (head coach Gary Kubiak) that myself when we were talking on the sidelines. I just told him, 'Coach, whatever we need to do to win football games, then that's all I care about.'
(on why they were having that discussion) "Receivers sometimes get frustrated because they don't get six, seven, eight balls a game. Today, I only had two. He came over and was like, 'hey buddy, we're going to get the ball to you.' I just said, 'Coach, you know I'm not worried about that. I just want to do whatever I need to do to help the team win games.' Because we went out and ran the ball forty-something times and I only had two catches, I'm not worried about that. I'm just excited about the win we got today."
(on offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan saying he was worried about how the team played in the second half and what are his thoughts) "It's not like they are a sorry defense. They are a very good defensive football team. If you look at their defensive line up front, they have some huge guys. We just have to find a way to run the ball, just be more consistent in the running game. We'll pop a run here or there, but we need to be more consistent in getting the 4-5 yard runs and getting them tired. We were able to do that in the first half, get them tired, and we were able to score points. In the second half, we just couldn't get that rhythm like we did in the first half."
(on the lack of the usual joy in the locker room after a win) "Guys want to win. We're not just going to be happy with this one. It's great to get this win. We know we needed it. This is something that we want to keep going so guys enjoy it, but not getting too excited about it. We get tested again next week so we have to get ready for that."
Texans WR Jacoby Jones
(on the lane opening up for his 95-yard return) "We didn't know what it was going to be, a punt or kickoff and we found out it was going to be a kickoff, so they kicked it, we blocked and I just ran for life."
(on setting the tone with the first play and going in to his 23-yard return) "We've been watching film all week and we're a small group, us special team. We did a good job, the guys did a good job blocking on the kickoffs and on punts."
(on the first time he scored a touchdown in the end zone opposite of his mother) "Well after I scored I decided I was a little tired so I just danced a little bit, go point to her."
(on the productive offense) "It's a confidence thing, when (RB Steve) Slaton gets going he's a hard guy to stop."
(on his confidence in the last few games) "I played hard in training camp and watched (WR) Andre Johnson, (WR) Andre Davis and all of those confident, experienced guys, so that helped me gain my confidence."
Texans RB Ryan Moats
(on how he felt entering the game) "My method is just to run hard. There's not a lot of science to it you just run with all your heart, and if at the end of the play you know that you did that then positive things can happen."
(on if he made a case to be the backup) "I just want to be a piece to the puzzle. We have a good group of backs here. We can all do it together. I don't even know how it goes, whenever they call my number I'll be ready to go."
(on play of RB Steve Slaton) "He played great. We always coach each other. It's different seeing it from the sideline than seeing it up close and personal. You know it's, 'Hey man did you see that? Did you see this?" You know, coaching each other to be successful. We can be successful together."
Texans SS Bernard Pollard(on getting the start today) "Everybody made a big deal about it, but at the end of the day you have to be a pro. Regardless if I started, regardless if I would have come in to play, I have to be a pro. It's fun, but at the end of the day I have to be a pro and just help my team."
(on the performance of teammate SS Dominique Barber) "With him (FS Eugene Wilson) being down, Barber stepped in and Barber played big. I think our secondary played big today and that's what we have to do every game. We cant play big one game and then have everybody out of sync the next game. We have to play big 24/7, all the time.
(on whether he thinks he is the missing piece for the Texans secondary) "Man, I'm just a football player, I'm a football player and these guys want guys to come in here and play. They want guys to come in here and help them out and that's what I have to do. I've learned so much in four years; I think I am a better player now than I've been in the last three years. I know how to keep my body in shape, I know how to just do certain things to make sure I can perform at the highest level."
Texans CB Glover Quin
(on how it felt for the defense to perform well) "It felt good to go out there; the whole week we have been hard on ourselves about how we have been playing as a defense and to come out against a good running team like Oakland and stop the run, give up no big plays and get a big win for our team."
(on if the defense's performance proved something to its critics) "We just want to go out and play every week. From the first three games, when you look at the film, whenever we do what we are supposed to do, we've been stopping the run, we've been playing good ball, its just when we have assignment errors or guys that are getting out of their gaps is when we give up big plays, so we've just got to continue working on what we do, continue to stay disciplined, keep working hard and we've got a chance to be a real good defense."
Texans QB Matt Schaub(on how he feels today after people questioned his durability as a quarterback earlier in the season) "I feel good. We went out and got a win as a team."
(on what happened in today's game that put them in overdrive) "We were able to get some big plays down the field. We were able to get some good coverages and make the plays. We took some of those things away in the second half when we were trying to run the ball, but we were able to make those plays happen when they were there in the first half."
(on how big it is for the team to be 2-2 again just before a stint on the road) "It's a huge thing for us. Anytime you can win in this league it's big for you, and to get back to 2-2 after our stumble last week, it is huge for our club."
(on this year's team confidence on the road, especially going into a game against Arizona next week) "Well we just go to play. We prepare all week, and we know how it is going on the road and how tough it is to win in this league. We have to go play good football, and they are a great football team. They're a team that we're going to have to go in there and play well across the board on offense, defense and special teams, too."
(on his concern about third down difficulty today) "We had ourselves in some tough third down situations, in the second half especially, and it was tough to convert. Oakland is a good defense. They have good guys with sound coverages so it was tough to find the holes in their coverages."
Texans RB Steve Slaton
(on both his and Ryan Moats' ability to run free) "I think it's just a change of pace. When he's tired or when I'm tired we just come in more fresh and keep the defense honest."
(on importance of running game to free up passing game) "It helps out a lot. I think a lot of teams prepare for our running game and whenever we have play action we get big play passes off of it so it definitely helps out to have a strong running game."
(on mental state after the fumble) "The team rallied around me and told me that I needed to make a big play and that they believed in me and that I was going to get another chance and you've got to take advantage of your opportunities."
(on what his performance means to him) "It means a lot. The coaches believing in me after I put the ball on the ground and I just had to pick myself back up and go out there and make plays."
(on how both touchdowns developed) "I think the first one was what we call a 45. It's just a draw type thing. (T) Duane's (Brown) got to throw the end up field and I'm just going to bounce out and hopefully no one's there. The other one, we run those screens all the time."
Texans DE Antonio Smith
(on the defense shutting down the Raiders offense) "I think today we just made it a point to all stick together, be about each other, and play with each other. When we're all on the same page, good things will happen."
(on how this game was different from any other) "I had fun. I was just having fun. From the first snap it was just a whole different feeling out there. It was fun, we were all playing together, we were loose, and it wasn't anything special that I did, or anything different that I did, I think we were just having fun."
(on the performance of the defense) "That's a big factor in football that people tend to forget about. You get to see everybody making plays and having fun, and it's contagious. It makes you want to go harder, it makes you want to make plays so everyone can be out there celebrating, and it just brings more fun to the game."
(on the critics stating that the Raiders offense is so bad that you can't take much from today's defense) "My response to that would probably just be, go back and watch the film on everybody that played them and then watch our film. You make your own educated guess on that."
Texans CB Dunta Robinson
(on today's win) "It's big. We have to take it one game at a time. Confidence, that's what football is about, and we just have to go out there and prove ourselves."
(on how helpful the run defense was to the secondary) "It helps a ton; it takes a lot of pressure off us in the back game. Those long drives and when we're playing a lot of man, it tends to take a toll on you. When you get pressure from four guys you can play some zone coverage, and when you're able to play zone coverage it makes you feel better as the game goes on, you don't feel as tired. It's a good feeling to see those guys work and practice the way they did and get after the quarterback the way they did."
(on how the defense performed differently from pervious games) "We ran the same plays that we ran the whole season, we just executed them better this time. It was on the players to go out there and get the job done. We called the exact same plays that we called all season. We went out there, got beyond the quarterback, we did a good job on the back end not giving up any big plays and these are the results you get. We just have to go out there and play football."
(on the contribution of SS Bernard Pollard) "He came in right away, laid down some big hits, and made some very nice plays. That's what he was in Kansas City so why can't he be that same guy here. What a great addition he is for our team and hopefully we can only get better in the back end."
Texans LB DeMeco Ryans
(on the defense coming alive this game and if they did anything different) "No, we didn't do anything different. Everybody just stepped up, played hard. Our defensive line was rolling to the ball, and I think we played our best game this year. Everybody just did their job, and it shows that when we're right and playing hard that is the type of performance we can put out there."
(on what LB Bryan Cushing has added to the team) "Bryan is great. He has come in and played great as a rookie. He's a physical player. I love playing with Bryan, he is a great addition to our team."
(on DE Antonio Smith's performance) "Antonio did great; Antonio, (DT) Amobi Okoye, the entire defensive line. They have crossed that line to where we expect that from them every week. The defense, it all starts out front and when our front four are playing the way they did today we have a chance to put this performance out there every week."
(on SS Bernard Pollard's performance) "Bernard came into his second week here and he's in the starting row. He stepped up and played well today. Also, I'm impressed with the way (CB) Glover Quin played."
Texans WR Kevin Walter
(on WR Jacoby Jones' punt return) "It was huge. Every time you get a special teams touchdown it's huge, it changes the momentum, everyone gets excited, it's huge. It's a big play and a big impact."
(on how the run helped the entire offense today) "First things first, you have to run the ball in this league. If you run the ball it opens up the passing the game and (RB) Steve (Slaton) ran the ball well. That was the number one thing coming into the game I think, that we need to run the ball better."
(on whether the team can improve) "Yes definitely. I think we can improve our red-zone efficiency, but we have to watch the film tomorrow, fix the mistakes, and just do a better job."
Texans T Eric Winston
(on what he takes away from the win) "It was a win. Any time you win in this league it is what it is, but we've just got to continue to get better and continue to improve."
(on the performance of the running game) "We produced early in the first half and in the game, but we've got to keep it going. We've got to be able to run even if they know we are going to run, so that wasn't good enough. We've just got to keep going."
(on inability to convert on third down) "That's a big worry. Any time you can't stay on the field it's hard to put together points, and we should have put up a lot more than we did, and we didn't. We were 0 for (actually 2 for 11) probably in the 2nd half and that's just not acceptable. We've got to play better."
(on players being very excited after the game) "They shouldn't be. We shouldn't be that excited. You get a win, that's fine, but three points in the second half for the last two games combined, you're not going to win many games in this league doing that."
(on just winning not being good enough anymore for this team) "I'm looking at the big picture. I don't want to win one game, I want to win 11 or 12, and I know how we're going to do it, but we've got to get there, we've got to be able to do it. We've got to put teams away. We can't let teams wallow around. We've got to put drives together, we've got to stay on the field on third down. That's winning football and we didn't do it."
(on how big this win was) "It's a win. We've got to keep improving. We definitely can't rest on our laurels, we can't think we are good enough to win a bunch of games playing like this so we've got to go out and get better."
(on the play of the Texans defense) "It's awesome. I thought everyone stepped up and played well over there. They were getting after the quarterback. I thought they were running to the ball. They were filling gaps the right way. I thought they did a great job and like I said we've got to step up and play equally as well."
(on scoring their first rushing touchdown in game four) "That's pretty surprising, but (QB) Matt's (Schaub) also had a pretty hot hand this season too. At the same time if you told me Matt's going to be hot I'd ride him too. It's a give and take and I'm surprised just because we've been down there a lot but at the same time Matt's been connecting on some pretty big passes as well so you take them when you can get them."
Oakland Raiders Head Coach Tom Cable Oakland Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha Oakland Raiders G Cooper Carlisle Oakland Raiders WR Darrius Heyward-Bey Oakland Raiders WR Johnnie Lee Higgins Oakland Raiders CB Chris Johnson Oakland Raiders P Shane Lechler Oakland Raiders RB Darren McFadden Oakland Raiders TE Zach Miller Oakland Raiders WR Louis Murphy Oakland Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell
Raiders head coach Tom Cable(on injuries) "First thing injury-wise, (T) Cornell Green did not finish—he had a calf issue. (S) Tyvon Branch had a groin issue. (TE) Zach Miller suffered a concussion. Those are the only three guys that did not finish the game."
(on defense performance) "In terms of the game itself, pretty good adjustment by the defense. The second half they played very good and I thought defended them well. Our passing game blew two coverages early in the game and two long runs in the first half, but we adjusted real well to that and I thought we were very sound the rest of the game."
(on offense performance) "Offensively we counted nine dropped balls. We could not run the football and that really disrupted our offense. We are really killing ourselves—we're shooting ourselves in the foot all over the place. And then special teams was a really poor effort and then coverage returns a couple of bad decisions obviously, so two-thirds of our football team really played poorly today."
(on dropped passes) "I don't know. That flares up every once in awhile and certainly today it rose up big time."
(on run-game) "I didn't think we blocked anybody very well up front. You have to say it like it is—we did not play very well up front on the line of scrimmage."
(on TE Zach Miller's concussion) "I don't believe he's ever had a concussion before."
(on ineffectual play calling) "We have to coach better. It isn't all just the players. We have all to coach better. Coach better on special teams, coach better on offense—we did poor."
(on Texans WR Andre Johnson's 62-yard catch) "We miss-communicated. They were the same play that happened, just different time. One was later than the other but there was the same miss-communication in terms of who was up and who was back."
(on expectations for the remaining season) "The problems are right there in front of us. I don't know if it is necessarily a set-back in terms of where we are trying to get to but today we certainly did not get it done. Today was a set-back."
(on how much CB Chris Johnson was helped when covering Texans WR Andre Johnson) "About a third of the time if I remember right. The rest of the time we just let him play him. Really, other than the two that we miss-communicated, there was not an issue."
(on CB Chris Johnson's performance) "Very good. I thought we pressured the quarterback ( Matt Schaub) very good. I think we had three or four sacks on (QB Matt) Schaub. So again, defensively I thought we did enough to win. Some miss-communications have to be fixed with the long runs. And I think they did that the second half. I thought we played well the second half."
(on QB Jamarcus Russell's performance) "I thought he played his best football all year in terms of where he is going with it and his presence and all of those things. He got sacked a couple of times and was hit a number of times."
(on adjustments that need to be made) "Simply, let's get back into it—a good routine of seeing the ball and catching it and putting it away."
(on WR Johnnie Lee Higgins' lack of presence) "He's a little bit cautious right now. Trying to protect him a little bit."
(on WR Louis Murphy's discounted catch) "We thought he dragged hit toe before he stepped out of bounds, but the evidence wasn't clear enough to say if he did or didn't."
(on dropped passes) "I don't have an answer for that right now. That's not been a real issue for us but today it was."
(on run-game) "We were just trying to find someone to get us on track. You know, change it up a little bit."
(on the lack of consistency in offense) "Some of that is what you can say is it—when it comes to pad-level and putting your helmet where you need to, your hands where you need to, and the fundamental things of it. We just didn't do a very good job of it."
(on WR Javon Walker's performance) "He could but I think it is more important to get back and look at this. The drops are the drops but I feel there are other issues that need to be addressed."
(on message given at halftime) "Yes we address the offense at one time and individuals—we do both. The message at halftime: One score and it is a football game. We get it first and let's take care of it. We got into a little bit of a rhythm right there at the end of the first half, but we weren't able to pick it back up. And that has been our issue—sustaining the rhythm."
(on the defense pressure TE Zach Miller receives) "The tight-end position you're going to get hit a little bit. Certainly he's had to fight a little more than you'd like to have him."
(on the positives of the game) "I liked what we were doing defensively. I like this team and its attitude and everything, but we have got to get it to relax and stop worrying about all of the negatives and just play football. So right now that has to be the focus. I still know this team and know what it is capable of and my belief in it hasn't wavered one bit."
(on the projection for the rest of the season) "We wanted to be 2-2 coming out of the fourth quarter. After last week we felt like this was a big game for us. We wanted to come out here and be our best. That's certainly what we wanted offensively and on special teams."
(on the Randy Hansen case) "I don't know anything about that development or anything."
Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha
(on the defense allowing big passing plays) "It was stuff that we had seen before, it was stuff that we worked on in practice. They pretty much gave it to us the same way we saw it. But it was just one of those plays where it hits you and you don't play it the way you played it in practice. There was one of those, it was to 83 (Texans WR Kevin Walter)."
(on if the Raiders' tough stretch of games ahead can be a good thing for the team)"Yeah, absolutely. It's one of those things where we have to cut down on the mistakes, there was a point when I looked up on the board and the Texans had one penalty for 5 yards and we had eight for 55 yards. That's one thing that is going to have to change. We're going to have to figure that one out."
(on if there is a sense of frustration setting in) "I think there are points during a lot of games when I get frustrated. I think its normal though, I don't think it's anything that lingers. It doesn't linger after the game. After the game it's, 'Okay how can we fix it, let's see what's going on.' But there are always points of frustration during a game where I think we can do things better, we could have played certain things better. I think that's the feeling with a lot of guys. You hate losing, you hate coming out here and getting embarrassed like this."
(on the behavior and attitude in the locker room, as opposed to last year) "It's much better. But you still have to play well in the games. So the locker room is one thing that got better. Guys definitely want to win, guys are putting in the work to win, we just can't pull out wins."
(on if he sees the Raiders on the verge of a break out) "Yeah, definitely. The things that we are making mistakes on are very fixable, things that it takes a split second to make the decision. And I thought we played well defensively in the second half. First half they had a couple big plays and that was pretty much it. There's always something you can build off of."
Raiders G Cooper Carlisle
(on what gave them trouble up front) "Without looking at film there is nothing I could put my finger on. The linebackers were playing downhill pretty good on us. Without seeing it I don't think they did anything outside of just playing."
(on if he was surprised by the team's lack of a run game) "I do feel like we are out of rhythm, out of sorts from running the ball. It's affecting our team obviously, putting our defense on the field a lot. Kind of wearing them down. So it's not only affecting us not scoring points, it's affecting the whole game."
(on having new faces on the offensive line impacting performance) "I tend not to blame it on that. I think those guys are playing fine. A guy here, a guy there, before you know it your running stats are terrible. You can't blame it on a guy."
Raiders WR Darrius Heyward-Bey
(On how the reverse play is one of the key plays that get the ball in his hands) "It gets me into the game. It allows me to get the flow of having the ball in my hands. I'm looking forward for that to happen more throughout the game. But loosing like this you wouldn't want to think about that."
(On the dropped passes by Raiders wide receivers) "Some of those throws there were some contact, but we have just got to make those plays. It's football and sometimes you got to catch them."
(On the troubles in the Raiders passing game despite QB JaMarcus Russell's improved accuracy today) "It's football. That's the same situation that has been happening to us the last two weeks. It is either one side or the other side, but we group on Monday and work to get things and focus on the Giants."
(On QB JaMarcus Russell's throwing performance today) "It seemed like JaMarcus always. He's poised in the huddle and calling the plays and running the offense the way it needs to be run."
Raiders WR Johnnie Lee Higgins(On how tough was it to lose here near his hometown) "It was just a tough loss. I felt like our defense came in and did what they were supposed to do. Our offense and special teams just have to pick up the slack and come on and do it."
(On what he saw in QB JaMarcus Russell today that gives him hope that he is making progress) "We are completing balls and the ones that we are not completing it's not his fault that they are not being completed. We were headed in the right direction. We just needed to hurry up and get on the road."
(On if he was surprised that the Raiders were only able to rush for 45 yards total against the Texans defense) "We just missed some of our assignments. If we were able to make our assignments then we would've came up with some big yards rushing."
Oakland Raiders CB Chris Johnson(on the personal foul call after his interception) "I don't see how that's a personal foul or anything like that. Like I said, we're in Houston so they make the calls and I just have to go with it."
(on the ball he intercepted in the end zone while covering Texans WR Andre Johnson) "They ended up running a fade route in the end zone. I knew down in the red zone it was going to be a fade route, so I played that."
(on if he likes the challenge of facing Texans WR Andre Johnson) "Yeah, I mean I played him last year. I'm not afraid of any receiver in the league. I proved myself last year. So either me or Nnam (Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha), whoever they want to go to, I'm all over that and they respect me. And like I said, that just gives me more opportunities to get a pick."
(on the Raiders' run defense) "I mean we just missed a couple tackles. We're playing against the best so if you miss a couple tackles sometimes the backs in this league will take advantage of it."
Raiders P Shane Lechler
(on how he thought he punted in the game) "I feel like I kicked it well, but that's not going to win football games."
(on how winning the field position game didn't help the outcome) "It's tough, anytime you punt the ball eight, nine or ten times. We just have to figure out some things on both sides of the ball. Our defense played good enough to win today; offense didn't do anything, special teams let us down. It's just how it is."
(on if he is happy with his play) "I'm happy but we're 1-3. It's not what I expected. It's just frustrating right now."
(on what happened on the free kick) "I could see a gap. I saw a hole. We are just going to have to get better at that. (Houston Texans WR) Jacoby (Jones) is great. We thought he was a little suspect with his ball handling. He came in and caught every ball except for the one that he dropped on the punt. He had a great night. Hats off to him, he is a good player."
Raiders RB Darren McFadden
(On his frustration running the ball today) "It gets very frustrating for you, but at the same time you want to try and keep your composure and just go out there and keep running the ball."
(On how surprised he was on how the offense has struggled the last three weeks) "I'm very surprised. I know we have a strong running game. We just got to go out there and show it on the field. That's something we haven't done the last couple of weeks. Our defense came in prepared to play the game and our offense didn't."
Raiders TE Zach Miller
(on the offense's performance) "As an offense you got to play as a team. Everyone's got to do their job and make plays and stuff, and that's how you get rolling. We just had a lot of breakdowns today."
(on his health) "My head smacked the ground on one play, that's why I didn't go back in. Hopefully its not a concussion, it might be."
(on if he is surprised that the team has not gotten in synch through four games) "Yeah, it seems like something new every time or similar things but different people doing it. So, as an offense we got to fix what is going wrong and we got to do it quick. We're 1-3 going into New York next week so we got to fix it quick."
(on if the tough stretch ahead can be a good thign for the team because there is little margin for error) "Yeah, I mean we're definitely playing some physical opponents. So, we got to do whatever it takes to come out and win these games. It's do or die time."
Raiders WR Louis Murphy(on where he thinks the team stands) "It's so frustrating because we really can be really good. We are right there, we are right there on the edge. I can't wait until it comes together because we are right there. Our defense is playing well, we just got to step up. We just got to play better. It's going to come together. We just need to keep working and continue pushing forward because it's going to shake loose."
(on if he thinks the dropped balls keep everyone from being relaxed) "Yeah I think it makes everybody tense up. Me personally, I think you got to have a short term memory. But we got to come out and score, just get the team going because Monday night, I'm not taking anything away from the (San Diego) Chargers, they're a good team, but we played great against them. Our offense and our special teams really have to step up because our defense is playing great football right now."
(on who comes up to talk to him when he is in a rut like the one today) "Just all the captains and the leaders of the team. (DE) Greg Ellis, (DE Richard) Seymour, even (QB) JaMarcus (Russell). JaMarcus steps up and tries to get the offense going. Also (T) Cornell Green, it's just the leaders of the team stepping up. Everybody wants to win, we just can't get it together and it's frustrating. And I know we're going to be fine, I have a feeling deep down that we'll be alright."
(on if there was any doubt in his mind that he caught the pass that was overturned by the officials) "Man, I caught that ball. Got my feet in, it is what it is. I felt I was in…I was right there on the field. The ref ruled it a catch, and another ref came up and ruled it incomplete. That's all I know. It was a complete catch, I didn't bobble it, I didn't do anything, and I felt I had two feet in."
Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell
(on how the dropped passes affected his performance) "A lot. When we are trying to stay on course, do some of the things that we wrote down through the course of the week because it makes sure everyone do their job. I don't pay too much mind while it's happening but as it goes on it's a lot back down deep inside. But I know that you have to keep guys with confidence. Keep coming at them; keep throwing the ball to them. That's the only way they will get better."
(on if he said anything to his receivers) "Just keep trying. We're never out of it until it's over with. You never know what's going to happen. Continue to bust your tales and keep fighting until the game is over."
(on if dropped balls gets frustrating to him) "It does. We had a lot of game left from the beginning but once it comes down to the ending moments you always sit and think what we could have done differently. I think that is one of the things we come out with today."
(on what the Texans were doing to stop them) "Mostly we kept ourselves in third and long situations. We keep harping on that it's a must that we stay in manageable downs. A lot of times you say, 'I wonder if I could have put the ball in different spots to come up with some of the third downs.' But we didn't."
(on what he thought of his performance) "Obviously it wasn't good enough. I really thought I got some things done out there. Whatever it takes for us to win, I guess I must play better."
